Chainmail

Chainmail Armor History

Chainmail (also maille, often called as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of
armor consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a
mesh. The word chainmail is of relatively recent coinage, having been in use
only since the 1700s; prior to this it was referred to simply as mail.
The word itself refers to the armor material, not the garment made from it. A
shirt made from mail is a hauberk if knee-length, haubergeon if mid-thigh
length, and byrnie if waist-length. Mail leggings are called chausses, mail hoods coif and mail mittens mitons. A mail collar hanging from a helmet is
camail or aventail. A mail collar worn strapped around the neck was called a
pixane or standard.The use of chainmail was prominent throughout the Dark Ages, High Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and reached its apex in Europe, in terms of coverage, during the
13th century, when mail covered the whole body. In the 14th century, plate armor
began to supplement mail. Eventually mail was supplanted by plate for the most
part. However, mail was still widely used by many soldiers as well as
brigandines and padded jacks.
Several patterns of linking the rings together have been known since ancient
times, with the most common being the 4-to-1 pattern (where each ring is linked
with four others). In Europe, the 4-to-1 pattern was completely dominant.

Chainmail
was also common in East Asia, primarily Japan, with several more patterns being
utilized and an entire nomenclature developing around them.
Historically, in Europe, from the pre-Roman period on, the rings composing a
piece of chainmail would be riveted closed to reduce the chance of the rings
splitting open when subjected to a thrusting attack or a hit by an arrow.
Up until the 14th century European mail was made of alternating rows of both
riveted rings and solid rings. Later it was almost all made from riveted rings
only.
Chainmail is believed to have been invented by the Celtic people in Eastern
Europe about 500 BC. When these Celts moved West they took mail with them. Most
cultures who used chainmail used the Celtic word Byrnne or a variant, suggesting
the Celts as the originators. The Roman Army used chainmail for almost all of
its history. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD the
infrastructure to make plate was largely lost in Europe, as a result mail was
the best available armor during the ensuing Early Medieval period.